Improvement in road-scrapers



D. E. TEAL.

lmprovment in Road-Scrapers NO.128,436, Patented June 25,1872.

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UNITE S'rA'rEs DANIEL E. TEAL, OF NEW LISBON, NEIV YORK.

IEV'IPRQVEMENT IN ROAD-SCRAPERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 128,436, dated June 25, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL E. TEAL, of New Lisbon, in the county of Otsego and in the State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Road-Scrapers; and do hereby declare that the followin g is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan view of the upper side of my device, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

My invention is an improvement in a class of devices used for leveling off the surface of ground; and it consists, principally, in the means employed for elevating the scraper by or with the power used for operating the machine, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified. It consists, further, in the means employed for raising and supporting the scraper when the machine is stationary, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown. It consists, further, in the means employed for sustaining in position and for dumping the scraper, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth. It consists, further, in the means employed for holding the scraper down to the ground, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown. It consists, finally, in the device as a whole, when its parts are constructed and combined substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

In the annexed drawing, A and A represent the side rails of the frame, connected together at their front and rear ends, respectively, by means of two cross-bars, B and U, the whole having a general rectangular form, and being supported by means of the two ground-wheels D, which are journaled upon two short arms, E, that extend laterally and horizontally outward from the side rails A. A pole, F, secured upon and extending outward from the longitudinal center of the cross-bar B, and strengthened by means of two hounds or braces, G, furnishes a means whereby horses or other draft animals may be attached to the machine. Pivot-ed to or upon the inward-projecting end of each journal E is an arm, H, which extends forward and is connected to or with a corresponding arm, H, by means of a crossbar, I, that extends between and passes through their outer ends. Upon or from the pivoted frame thus formed is suspended the scraper K by means of two rods, L, which are pivoted at their lower ends to or upon said scraper, while their upperends are journaled upon the crossbar I, the whole being so arranged as that the raising or lowering of the forward end of said pivoted frame shall correspondingly change the vertical position of said scraper without interfering with the freedom of its action in other respects. The rods L are pivoted to the scraper in front of its center, so as to cause its rear side to tilt downward, when not otherwise prevented, by the force of gravity. A bar, M, pivoted at its upper end to or upon the cross-bar I, is provided at its lower end with a hook, m, which may be caused to embrace the rear edge of the scraper, so as to firmly hold said scraper in position with relation to said cross-bar, while leaving it free to oscillate thereon. When loaded and raised above the ground, said scraper may be dumped by withdrawing the lower end of the hook-bar from engagement with its rear side. In order that the scraper may be locked in fore-and-aft position, so as to cause it to present its forward or cutting-edge at a proper angle to the surface of the ground, a brace-rod, N, having the form shown in Fig. 1, is pivoted to or upon the cross-bar (J, and, when turned forward and downward, embraces the upper side of the hook at, within a notch or bend, and prevents said hook-bar and said scraper from swinging rearward. By raising the front end of the brace the scraper is instantly released and left free to swing backward.

It being frequently necessary that, after filling, the scraper should be elevated and the machine moved to some distance before the soil is dumped, the following-described devices are employed for raising said loaded scraper by means of the draft-power: Secured upon and extending upward and thence inward from each side rail A, near its rear end,

is a metal bar, 0, to the horizontal portion of- Which are, in turn, secured the rear ends of two brace-rods, P, that from thence extend forward and downward, and have their opposite ends attached to or upon the cross-bar B. The pole F is constructed of or from a metal tube, and is provided interiorly with a metal bar, F, which fits loosely therein and is provided upon its projecting front end with suitable means for attaching the draft animals. From or near the rear end of the rod or bar F a stud, f, extends vertically upward through a slot, f, formed longitudinally within the upper side of the pole F, with which stud is caused to engage a hasp, Q, hinged to or upon the cross-bar B, and provided with an opening, g, which opening receives said stud when said hasp is turned downward and forward.

To the rear end of the bar F is attached one end of a cord or chain, B, which from thence passes rearward beneath the yoke-bar 0, over a spool, o, journaled upon said bar, and from thence downward with its opposite end attached to or upon the cross-bar I; the length of said cord being such as to permit the pivoted frame to drop downward to its lowest point.

As thus arranged, by raising the hasp Q, when the machine is in motion, the bar F will be drawn forward, and, by means of the cord R, raise the pivoted frame and scraper, and hold them in an elevated position so long as the strain upon said bar or pole is maintained. Upon returning the pole to its former position the scraper drops downward, so as to be again ready for use.

In order that the forward movement of the frame of the machine may be checked when it is designed that the scraper shall be elevated, a bar, S, having the general form shown, is pivoted to or upon the,- outer ends of the cross-bar I, in such position as to cause its ends to pass downward outside of the main frame. The pivotal bearings s of the bar S are upon its rear side, so as to cause the upper part of the same to overbalance and hold said ends against the lower sides of the axlearms when turned rearward, as shown in Fig. 2; but when turned forward the weight of said ends causes them to rest upon the ground.

If, now, the machine is moved forward, and at the instant the hasp is raised the ends of the lever-bar S are dropped upon the ground in front of the wheels, said ends will engage with said ground,and as said machine moves forward said bar will assumea vertical position and force upward the pivoted frame and scraper. It will be seen that while useful as an aid to the other devices for raising the scraper, the pivoted lever-bar can be employed separately, if desired.

When elevated to position the pivoted frame and scraper are secured in place by means of a lever, T, which is pivoted upon and extends forward and rearward from the yoke-bar, the forward end of said lever being provided with one or more hooks, t, for engaging with the cross-bar I, while its rear end furnishes a handle, by means of which the driver controls its action. ing horizontally rearward from the cross-bar 0, enables the driver to add his weight to that of the machine, when desired, in order to cause the scraper to operate with more certainty in hard ground.

The device is now complete, and is believed to be, in a marked degree, efficient, durable, and comparatively inexpensive.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, what I claim as new, 1s-

1. The means employed for elevating the scraper, consisting of the pivoted frame H, H, and I, the hollow and solid bars F and F, the cord It, and the journaled spool 0, substantial- 1y as specified.

2. In combination with the above-named elements, the lever-bar S, pivoted to or upon the pivoted frame, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

3. In combination with the pivoted scraper K, connected with and suspended from the crossbar I, the bar M, provided with the hook m, and pivoted to or upon said cross-bar, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with the pivoted scraper K, and the hooked bar M, .the brace-rod N, pivoted to or upon the cross-bar O, and engaging with said hooked bar, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

5. The device as a whole, when its several parts are constructed and combined, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of April, 1872.

DANIEL E. TEAL.

Witnesses:

JAS. E. OooKE, ALFRED THURSTON.

A step, U, secured upon and extend- I 

